This was a hidden gem - we found out that San Mateo County Parks hosts free online lessons on a variety of topics, and requested them to teach one on Food Webs. We scheduled a couple of months in advance - that gave us enough time to gather a group, and work out logistics (e.g. if families wanted to meet at the library to do the class together). A bonus we were not expecting: the lesson includes an owl pellet dissection along with a worksheet, and these were provided for free - the ranger dropped them off a week before.
On the day of the lesson, we logged on to the Zoom link. Ranger Lauren started off with a question, "Why do we eat?" and that got a lot of chatter. She then moved us to the idea of food as energy, and introduced food chains and food webs.
She also introduced terms like producer, consumer and decomposer, as well as herbivore, carnivore and omnivore. We appreciated that the slides used pictures of local animals, e.g. the Mission Blue Butterfly, which helped us appreciate the diversity of wildlife in our area. The first half of the worksheet came in handy - we drew various food chains and connected them into a food web.
We then talked about owls - how they don't have teeth, but prey is swallowed whole and the parts which cannot be digested (e.g. bones, feathers) are regurgitated into a package (the "owl pellet"). The pellets we used are sanitized, and can be handled safely. The ranger showed us this video of an owl regurgitating:
After that, it was time for the hands-on activity. Students were eager to take apart the owl pellet (tip: use fingers to gently separate the pellet, tools might break the parts within) and for 10+ minutes worked with intense focus.
The lesson ended with a Q&A, and one of the students had a question which ranger Lauren couldn't answer on the spot, but to her credit, she sent out an email the next day with the answer.
Q: Are owls the only birds which regurgitate pellets?
A: It turns out many bird species regurgitate pellets! Some are found more frequently because they are denser/sturdier in structure such as owl pellets or pellets from raven or birds of prey (such a hawk or a peregrine). If they google bird pellet they will find MANY types of birds that regurgitate pellets.
We are thankful to San Mateo County Parks for hosting this lesson, and for giving us a renewed appreciation of the complexity of nature around us!
Psalm 24:1 The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein.
Who : High school. Small group, ~10 people including parents and students
Cost : Free
Note: Allow extra time to find parking (street or nearby garages), as well as time to pass security screening.
The San Mateo County Court's proceedings are generally open to the public, with some exceptions such as juvenile court, conservator ship. They also offer an educational outreach program, which is what we reserved - this would consist of an observation period, plus a meet and greet with a judge. They requested a small group size, which allowed us to observe proceedings without causing disruption. asked
(Note: Photos and recording are not allowed within the courthouse hence this write-up is text-only).
We arrived at the San Mateo County Superior Court around 8:30am, after having found street parking. We had been advised to allocate extra time for security screening - indeed, there was a line of people outside the entrance. However, the screening went smoothly and we met our coordinator.
The coordinator led us to one of the courtrooms where we were instructed to enter quietly and sit in the observation area without interacting with anyone else. The court was already in session, with a judge in the center, lawyers in the front row, and a side door through which plaintiffs were led in. It took some figuring out what was going on in each case, and many cases were deferred. However, the solemnity of the situation was impressed on us - some of the plaintiffs led in wore orange or red jumpsuits, and security was high. We also observed courtroom recorders and interpreters.
After an hour, we were led to another courtroom which had a different seating arrangement - jury instead of judge, but was currently unused. There, we spoke with a judge and had the opportunity to ask questions. Some questions from our group:
Q: Do you get therapy for the distressing cases you hear?
A: Not for most judges, there is no mandate.
Q:What are some major changes you have seen over the years?
A: We see more cases of mental distress now.
After the meet and greet with the judge, we thanked the judge and coordinator for their time. This field trip was a worthwhile peek into the judicial system, and strengthened our civic understanding.
Psalm 106:3 Blessed are they who observe justice, who do righteousness at all times!
Reason #1,982,963 that we feel blessed to homeschool in the Bay Area - how often do you get to meet neuroscientists? And how many of them would jump at the chance to teach a K-12 class? We met Drs. Aarron and Natalia when they did a popup event in Foster City introducing BioCompass Kids, their project to introduce science to children in an accessible yet rigorous way. They agreed to run a 4 hour neuroscience class for our middle and high schoolers.
When we arrived, they had set out a variety of stations with colorful materials such as those pictured above, and we immediately knew this would be a fun class with hands-on opportunities. They started with an analogy - the brain is like the internet, with grey matter being the nodes/computers and the white matter being the connections between them.
(Note about photos below: Our class was held on Halloween so our instructors were dressed as mad scientists😀)
Pointing out grey vs white matter
Starting from macrostructures, we learned about main lobes of the cerebrum: frontal, parietal, temporal, occipital. Each has functions, e.g. the frontal lobe controls decision making, the occipital controls visual input. The instructors then distributed some cards with problem scenarios, and asked students to match them to the lobe the problem might lie, e.g. "You can't remember your friends' names (temporal lobe - memory)". Some were hard - "You try to catch a fast moving ball but fail".. is it frontal (movement), occipital (vision), or something else? Hint: look up proprioception.
Game board for matching lobes to functions
Even though the cerebrum has defined lobes and functions, one cannot just study a single region because brain cells are interconnected and can rewire themselves (neuroplasticity). For example, a stroke patient may be unable to speak, but with therapy the brain can wire new connections to undamaged areas so the person can relearn speech. To understand the process better, our focus switched to brain cells (neurons).
Neurons can vary in size and shape, but have parts in common: cell body, axon (output), and dendrites (input). Dr. Aarron showed us cells using their digital microscope - we were delighted to learn it was homemade using OpenFlexure's microscope model. We also passed around slides, and he described how scientists prepare samples for labs using tools to make thin (40 micron) slices and dying them with H&E to color the nucleus purple and cell body pink.
It was time for a dissection demo! Dr. Natalia brought out sheep brain samples which had been preserved in formalin. Students could choose to handle the samples - those who did donned PPE (plastic coat, gloves).
Before cutting, she pointed out the protective membrane (meninges) - when those were removed, we could see the folds that increase the surface area for grey matter cells. It was fascinating to compare the number of folds for a sheep brain compared to a mouse's brain which was smooth - animals have different folds, depending on complexity. Also, both sheep and mice brains have comparatively large olfactory bulbs (nerves connecting from nose to brain)
Moving on, we learned about the connection between neurons. Information from one neuron's axon flows to another neuron's dendrites, but neurons aren't directly wired to each other. If all neurons were wired together and firing, that would actually cause a seizure. Instead, chemical neurotransmission occurs via:
Neurotransmitters drift across to the dendrite which converts the chemical signals to electrical. When received, ions from the brain flow into the neuron so the neuron builds up charge and fires a signal to the next neuron
Neurotransmission is fast, about 20 milliseconds, but some neurons can send information faster because of myelin. To illustrate these, students were asked to run a relay race to pass a "secret" to another team member, with and without myelin.
Running with myelin "booster"
The next activity demonstrated how neurotransmitters are cleared from the synapses by astrocytes. If this were not done, the remaining chemicals would interfere with neurons' receiving new messages.
What a mess!
Finally, students learned about inhibitory neurons - without them the brain would have a hard time distinguishing between a signal and noise from other neurons. The instructors brought a LED game to illustrate this principle - teams had fun challenging each other to stop the noise.
That wrapped up the session - students had a lot to tell their parents that evening, and we are thankful to Drs. Aarron and Natalia for sharing about the fascinating world of neuroscience!
Tips for other homeschoolers interested in organizing a class:
Drs. Aarron and Natalia can be reached through the BioCompass Kids website or Instagram. They are also planning for future classes with different topics.
Our class size was capped at 12 students - this was an ideal number for discussion/interaction
Plan for a large enough room (ideally with outdoor access) to accommodate all activities.
This past summer (August 2025), we had the opportunity to collaborate with Together We AI, a non-profit started by a high schooler in the South Bay. They graciously agreed to run three virtual sessions for us. Originally the sessions were designed for middle/high schoolers but so many parents wanted to learn as well that we ended up opening the session to all ages.
Session 1: Overview of AI
We learned that AI is defined as a software system that makes the best/most logical decision to reach a goal. The implementations we see nowadays use training data to select what is "most logical", but AI itself has a history spanning back to the 1950s, using algorithms to determine what is best.
Image source: Waymo
AI is now embedded in many systems, e.g. self driving cars. As such, parents are concerned about careers in the age of AI. Indeed, routine jobs will be at risk, but there will also be new jobs, e.g. AI oversight, ethics. Existing workers will often need to understand how to use AI in your work, e.g. Canva AI tool for graphic designers
In this session, we learned that generative AI is a subset of AI which creates content based on a user's prompt. It requires massive amounts of data to train so that it recognizes patterns, and is "tuned" to evaluate if its generated output matches what users want. An example is Canva's AI Image Generator (link does not require a Canva account). Generative AI is popular, but also comes with problems. such as hallucinations and plagiarism.
AI has also been deployed in healthcare, e.g. as a virtual health care assistant to schedule appointments or assess symptoms, or in disease detection (E.g. detecting Alzheimer's in MRI scans). Its issues include serious consequences for mistakes, ethical dilemmas and widening the health gap globally.
Session 3: Ethics in AI
Ethical questions arise when people lack agreement on moral beliefs and priorities. AI has added fuel to the fire because of its transformative power. Examples include:
Discrimination: Biased/unrepresentative training data = biased model, perpetuate stereotypes
Privacy: Enormous amounts of sensitive data used for training, security and misuse
Blurring of reality: Deep fakes are increasingly difficult to detect and used in misinformation.
Environment damage: High water and power use, e.g. a ChatGPT conversation uses 1 plastic bottle's worth of water
To address these issues, developers should test AI models vigorously with a wide data set and diverse ideas, e.g. Generative Adversarial Networks/GANs. It's harder for consumers to detect biased AI models, but being aware they exist and advocating for better models is a start. The European Union AI Act gives some guidelines for using AI ethically, and companies are also creating jobs, e.g. AI Ethicist, to focus on these areas.
We were also asked to determine if some photos were deep fakes, and learned some tips for recognizing them:
Shadows: AI shadows often are unrealistic/defy physics
Focus: AI makes highly focused/good quality pictures but real life photos often aren't that way, e.g. clear foreground and blurry background, super smooth skin
Details: AI models overcompensate by adding details not in real life, e.g. multiple fold lines on a coat, or getting details wrong, e.g. floating pen in coat pocket
Conclusion/Further Reading
We are grateful for the time Together We AI took to present to us, and especially appreciated the opportunity to ask questions. They will continue to present webinars and their website is the best place to stay updated. Homeschoolers may also want to follow up with:
Stanford Digital Group: Not directly related to AI, but this series of lessons teaches students to evaluate online sources through cross checking (reading laterally). The Senior Prank lesson is a fun, standalone exercise to warm up.
Elon University has published a Student Guide to AI , exploring ethical guidelines for academic use of AI
Update: Together with AI has created a free AI resource hub for students which includes:
Case Studies (teach students about the ethical issues of AI through interactive activities
We are excited to share that we have invited AstroBruins, a local high school First Robotics team, to come and share about their robots and journey to robotics at Redwood City downtown library!
When: 6 Sept 2025 (Sat) 2-4pm, drop-in.
Where: Redwood City Downtown Library Community Room
What: The team will present some of their robots and answer questions about their robotics journey. There will also be a mentors table where homeschoolers can learn about starting their own team.
Although the event is drop-in, please RSVP so we can anticipate headcount.
If you would like to connect with other homeschoolers on the Peninsula interested in robotics, please fill out this interest form.
College of San Mateo entrance Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons
Overview
College of San Mateo (CSM) is one of three community colleges in the San Mateo Community College District (SMCCD), with a student population of 12,000 students. Being the largest community college in the district, it has a wealth of offerings in classes and certificates and serves homeschoolers well.
CSM is located in San Mateo off Highway 92's Hillsdale exit. It is also served by SamTrans 250 and CSM which mainly serves San Mateo; there is also a free CSM shuttle running hourly between the college and Millbrae BART/Caltrain. The college also provides one free Lyft roundtrip ride daily to the campus from designated spots (e.g. San Carlos and Belmont Caltrain stations) however students must be above 18 years old. Homeschoolers planning to drive/drop off will be glad to hear that parking is free (as of May 2025) and ample, but they should check the parking page to confirm if a permit is needed and which lots are open for student parking.
Concurrent Enrollment and Middle College
For 2024-2025, homeschoolers 9th grade and above can take up to 11 credits per semester free across all the community colleges in the district; beyond that, they will have to pay tuition of $46/credit (2024-2025 rates) for all credits taken. Courses may be in any discipline and generally students take introductory courses; if a course has pre-requisites students must show they they fulfill them. NOTE: Concurrent enrollment is the term used within SMCCD for this option where homeschoolers take some courses for college credit so be sure to fill out the correct form, see our High School page for instructions.
Some coursework/pathways that are distinctive to CSM:
Nursing: Option to graduate with a BSN degree with an additional 6 months coursework
Another option for homeschoolers is Middle College. Applicants must reside in the San Mateo Union High School District (SMUHSD). If accepted, charter and private homeschoolers may need to transfer to one of the schools in the district - we recommend checking if your credits will be accepted.
Under Middle College, juniors or seniors take all their classes on the CSM campus as part of a smaller cohort. The classes fulfill SMUHSD graduation requirements, e.g. American Literature, United States History, English, Economics and American Government. Students graduate with a high school diploma from SMUHSD and credits that transfer toward a Career technical education certificate, an Associate degree, and/or a four-year college.
Post-Secondary Options
Homeschoolers can also consider enrolling in CSM after high school. This is also a great option if students are undecided about what to study.
Students interested in the University of California system (UCs) and California State Universities system (CSUs) can also consider completing their general education requirements and transferring into those colleges. The Transfer Center offers different pathways, e.g. TAG for certain UCs or Transfer Success Program for CSUs. The Honors Transfer Program offers priority consideration for transfer students applying to UCLA or UCI, as well as research seminars.
For students interested in options other than 4-year colleges, the college offers certificates through Career Education. Some are designed for high school graduates and have no pre-requisites. Distinctives include:
There is a wide array of services to support disadvantaged or first generation college students (Foster Youth, Project Change, Promise, TRIO). Through these programs, students may receive financial assistance such as textbook stipends, monthly gas allowance, personal student advising and priority registration. If they qualify, students may participate in multiple programs.
At CSM, nursing students attend lectures 2 days/week, plus 2 days/week for labs and additional days throughout the semester rotating through clinical sites in the Bay Area, e.g. the San Mateo Medical Center. On our tour, we were impressed by the nursing lab - it has 8 patient rooms, 2 of which are simulator rooms, and 14 beds. This simulator rooms have high fidelity manikins, both adult and pediatric, which allow instructors to run different scenarios, and students get extensive hands-on experience.
Understandably, the nursing program is popular so interested applicants should study the rubric (2025 rubtic) or reference the CSM Nursing Apply link for the latest info. A science-heavy background is required, and relevant experience through working or volunteering (e.g. EMT training) is helpful. Required science courses include Anatomy, Physiology in addition to Biology and Chemistry - students can apply the coursework towards another A/S degree while applying (or if they are waitlisted). other courses and preferably have work or volunteer experience. Also, taking the NCLEX-RN gives students a license to practice in California - the process for applying to other states is easier after this is granted.
Art/Music
We also learned about music classes - CSM offers AA degrees in Music and Electronic Music, as well as certificates but students on other tracks will also find interesting courses and opportunities to participate in ensembles. No prior experience is assumed, and students will find ample support for their creative vision, e.g. they can take lessons, digitize their recordings, and use them as sound track for films.
Likewise, CSM's Art department offers AA degrees in Fine Art as well as courses in 2D Art, 3D Art, Art History, Photography and Graphic Design.
Reaching Out to CSM
Homeschoolers can contact community outreach for a personal or group tour. CSM was also featured on The College Tour so families can tour virtually through we recommend touring in person since you can get specific questions answered.
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